DepEd, military urged to explain the basis of soldiers teaching in schools

DAVAO CITY, Jan 7 (PIA) City Council Committee on Human Rights chair Councilor Karlo Bello urged the military and the Department of Education to clarify the basis of the former to conduct lectures in schools.

 He said that inasmuch as both offices agree in a memorandum to provide education to students, there is also a guideline classifying schools as zones of peace which bars military presence in schools.

 Bello said the agreement between the military and the Department of Education looks like more to circumvent the law in order to allow the military entry on school campuses.

 “We do not want this to happen given the passage of resolutions in the past requesting the military to stay away from educational institutions, and barangay halls,” he said.

 Even then, Bello urged government and the peace panel of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People’s Army to pursue the peace talks for the benefit of the country.

 He said both parties must show sincerity and press on the talks without preconditions.

 Bello said that despite the suspension of the peace talks, he remains hopeful that both parties go back to the negotiating table and pursue the issues that need tangible outcomes.

 Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process chief Teresita Quintos-Deles wants to pursue the peace talks with communist rebels on the basis of a doable and time-bound agenda.

 She confirmed that friends of the process have been working to bring both parties to the negotiating table to explore possible parameters for the talks to resume.

 Quintos-Deles said though the feedback from the communist party leadership is positive, there remains matters to be clarified in order to ensure that the peace process will not go on a major impasse.

 “As we gave repeatedly stated in the past, we want to resume talks based on doable and time-bound agenda,” she said.

 Quintos-Deles said that the recent positive response of Jose Maria Sison for the renewed talks after the Papal visit in January indicates that the common ground between the two parties which may be broadening towards the achievement of a just and durable peace that the Filipino people desire. (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)